Seoul Transportation Tips by olddude

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Subway/Metro
Getting TO/AROUND: The absolute best way to get around Seoul is the subway. It is clean, fast and safe. The lines are always expanding so no matter where you need to go in the city (and in some cases outside), it will get you there. Of course, just like Japan, the cars are crowded during rush hour and the trains stop at about midnight and start up again at 5:30 in the morning.
The subway maps in the stations and in the cars is Korean and English, color coded, and numbered and all stops all called out in both languages on a speaker in all cars and there is also a ticker for the hearing impared to read. They even tell you which side of the car to step off of as you approach each stop. The system is extremely easy to navigate given the size of it.
Many of the stations also double as underground shopping centers and meeting places for people; some pretty good fast food can be had in the subway.
Back to the size, you can now ride the subway from as far out as Kimpo airport to NE Seoul and to Choneon to the south. Also, since the subway connects with the national train service, you could quite literally travel the whole country by subway/train.
Lastly, the subway is very inexpensive. They just changed the the way rates are calculated to by distance. Basic rate is 800 won and goes up from there. The most you will pay is 2200 won to get anywhere in the city or to Incheon. A taxi by comparison will cost close to than that just to get moving.

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.subwayworld.co.kr/index.jsp

'Mode': AROUND
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: Seoul recently revamped it's city bus system and integrated it with the subway system. This means that if you use a smartcard such as T-money (soon this is all that will be accepted on the buses) you don't have to pay to transfer from one mode of transport to the other if done within the time limit (currently 30 minutes if I am not mistaken). The buses are also now color coded for different zones in the city. This makes it real easy to figure out how to get somewhere just by changing to the correct color bus (especially for non-Korean speakers) instead of the old system of route numbers. There are still bus numbers though, but they denote departure points and destination area. For a really good explaination of the new system, go to this URL:

http://english.tour2korea.com/03Sightseeing/TravelSpot/travelspot_read.asp?oid=1846&konum=subm1_1&kosm=m3_6

The yellow buses are especially good to get to know as they go to all the major tourist areas in the city. So just hop on one and get off and on as you see fit when you get to something you want to see.

Also, for you green-minded out there, Seoul is introducing articulated bused powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) and will in the future make all it's city buses (CNG).

The website below is a link for the Seoul Public Transportation System guide which is in English. It has an awesome interactive menu to help you get around Seoul using the bus as well as any other public transportation.

http://english.seoul.go.kr/residents/transport/trans_05bus_01.html

Leave a Comment

'Mode': TO
Category: Airplane
Getting TO/AROUND: I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before, but there is no real tip on here about getting to Korea. Most travelers to Korea get there by air and the airport makes your first initial impression of how your trip will be in my opinion. Korea's main international airport is located at Incheon; about an hour west of Seoul. It is quite frankly one of the best airports i have ever had the pleasure of transisting through. It has all the conviences that any major world airport has but they seem to be more logically placed and easier to use than I have found anywhere else. For instance, there are lockers (free for one day use) for transit passengers located right in the transit area. You only have to ask the information desk for a key (which by the way is very multi-lingual). There is a reasonably priced shower and sauna service. There is even a transit hotel right on the 4th floor if you have a long lay over that doesn't give you time visit the city, but still too long to just sit in a terminal seat waiting for your flight.

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.airport.or.kr/Eng/home.jsp

'Mode': TO
Category: Bus
Getting TO/AROUND: As been asked many times on this forum, what is the best way to get to Seoul from IIA? Buses from Incheon International Airport to Seoul operate on 10-15 minute intervals during the flight operation hours. As the subway between IIA and Seoul is currently under construction, the most convenient and cheapest way to get to Seoul is Limousine Bus. Deluxe Limousine Bus tickets to Seoul cost 12,000-13,000 won, Standard Limousine Bus tickets cost 7,500-8,000 won. Tickets can be purchased at the Transportation Information Counter near the exits No. 2, 4, 9, 13 on the arrival floor (1st floor) or at the bus stops themselves. Which bus you take depends on the part of the city you are going to. Don't worry, the places are written on the buses in English as well as Korean. Here is a list of the buses, where they go, and which exit in the airport to head for to catch them:

http://www.airport.or.kr/airport/traffic/bus/busList.iia?flag=E&fake=1142381787184

Leave a Comment

'Mode': TO
Category: Train
Getting TO/AROUND: THere is finally an alternative to taking the bus or taxi from Incheon International Airport (IIA) into Seoul. The light rail service between Incheon and Gimpo Airports is operational. That means you can take a train from IIA to Gimpo and then passengers can transfer to Seoul subway line 5 (purple line) and travel anywhere into Seoul they desire just by using the subway. The fare for an adult passenger is 3,200 won. The price will be halved for a child. Express train charges will be about 7,950 won for an adult. There is an express every hour on the hour from 5am to 2300 so you need not worry about transportation options. So if you are traveling light (or not as the express has luggage racks), this may be a good alternative for transport into Seoul. The one drawback is that you won't get to see much of the city on your way in as you will be underground the majority of the time. They are currently working on the 2nd phase of the light rail that will take it all the way to Seoul Station in downtown Seoul. It is scheduled to be completed in 2010.

Leave a Comment

Website: http://www.arex.or.kr/jsp/eng/main.jsp